Connolly Books has moved

by mick Mon Nov 22, 2004 13:56

It's a pity Connoly Books is going because the Essex St location was ideal . It was also about the last outpost standing against the yuppification of Temple Bar .But good luck with the move all the same. What's going to happen to the old premises? Is the theatre still going to be there? The left needs a venue in Dublin now - a permanent visible presence - bookshop ,library ,internet cafe , meeting place sort of thing .
Would it be impossible to get the Trots , Stalinists ,left republicans ,anarchoids etc to come together for something that might be of mutual benefit ? The Dublin Resource Centre worked well for a few years . Maybe it was ahead of its time.

by pc Mon Nov 22, 2004 15:16

wha was that mick?

by wellfed Mon Nov 22, 2004 15:28

Dunno. Maybe he meant the place on Crow St. where the 'Well Fed Cafe' and the Well Red' bookshop were. There was a bicycle storage and repair place in the basement too.

by MG Mon Nov 22, 2004 15:38

Connolly Books has not gone, it has just temporarily moved while building work is going on in the East Essex St premises. The New Theatre will remain there and Connolly Books will return to a refurbished building. The temporary shop in Blooms Lane is very swish indeed.

The Dublin Resource Centre used to be in Crow Street but is gone at least 10 years now.

by emmet goldman Wed Nov 24, 2004 15:39

Yes, the DRC was on Crow St. and was basically a complex of cooperatives including the Well Red bookshop (which, like the Garden of Delight, was a much better bookshop than Connolly Books).

The DRC was set uip by people who came out of Revolutionary Struggle, an autonomist outfit influenced by what was going on in Italy in the 70s. They used to do a magazine called Rebel and were involved in lots of stuff, but especially anti-nuclear and H-Block campaigning. They even tried to set up a social centre in Finglas.

As the years went by the organization dissolved; some people went into SF, others set up the DRC. Ironically it was where the campaign to stop the development of Temple Bar as a Bus Depot began. Over the years the coops folded. I think the bike shop is the last of the originals.

I admit to having a certain sentimental fondness for the Essex St. building, but it doesn't change the fact that they (a) are basically Stalinists (ask Mick O'Riordan about Spain if you have any doubts) and (b) never did anything for anybody else on the left despite the fact that they are the only ones who had real space to provide. I think this is particularly unforgivable given that the CPI have had no meaningful existence in my lifetime, and I'm in my thirties.

If there's anyone from the CP reading this, I 'd be interested in hearing a view on this use of resources; I'm not trying to score points. I'd also like to know what happened to the plans to redevelop the building as a social club and mixed housing development as was mooted several years ago. Opening up a bar would at least have been a 'contribution' to the movement!

by WPer Wed Nov 24, 2004 15:46

At least Connolly books always catered for all the left. The DRC would not carry any workers party literature. Anti Imperialist my arse!

by Joe Wed Nov 24, 2004 15:48

As Connolly books refuses to carry any anarchist material.

by Stalin watch Wed Nov 24, 2004 16:11

I think O'Riordan was wounded by an Anarchist?

by Ray Wed Nov 24, 2004 16:16

Bit his foot perhaps? Gave him a bad bruise on the knuckles?

by emmett goldman Thu Nov 25, 2004 18:04

Hey WPer,

Maybe that's because they would have found it embarassing for people to have seen your lovely publications with their epistels to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), aka North Korea, whose representatives used to attend your Ard Fheis.

Think about it. North Korea. It is embarassing.

Between that and the WPs cosy relationship with various European Communist Parties, is it any surprise that an organization (RS) coming from a tradition that considered the Communist Parties and their affiliated trade unions as the frontline anti-revoltutionary force refused to carry your literature?

And where did the WP finish up? With the labour labour party! That friend of struggling people's worldwide..... (!)

And to think the WP used to call the Sinners fascists.....